Virginia Expects ‘Major Challenge' From Slumping North Carolina

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Jan. 14 -- Although confident, Virginia guard Sylven Landesberg did not expect to enter Thursday's game against North Carolina with a better conference record than the Tar Heels. He laughed with disbelief at the unlikely scenario preceding a matchup between the team picked first and the team picked last in the preseason ACC standings.

Two games into the conference schedule, Virginia has split a pair of road games while No. 5 North Carolina has lost to Boston College and No. 2 Wake Forest. The Tar Heels' past two weeks made the unanimous preseason No. 1 team suddenly appear vulnerable.

"Two or three weeks ago, I didn't think we were the greatest thing since sliced bread like everyone was talking about and acting like and talking about [going] undefeated," North Carolina Coach Roy Williams said. "And we're probably not as bad as people say about us and I feel about us now."

For Virginia, North Carolina's slide is surprising and concerning. The meeting is always a highlight, and this season, the anticipation is higher because it is the ACC home opener and the first game in which Virginia students are back on campus -- and because the Tar Heels feature heralded Richmonder Ed Davis, who bypassed the Cavaliers.

Yet those story lines now take lower billing to North Carolina's unexpected pursuit of its first ACC win.

"I'm sure things won't be so pleasant as they prepare for us as far as what they got to do, and that will be a major challenge as we go forward," Virginia Coach Dave Leitao said.

Landesberg considered the Tar Heels "a more dangerous team" because they so badly need a win. He watched parts of Sunday's loss to Wake Forest -- other teammates remained glued to the television throughout the entire game -- and anticipated that the league losses will weigh on North Carolina's ballyhooed roster.

Virginia embraced that approach instead of developing any confidence in North Carolina's newfound vulnerability.

"You can look at it either way," Virginia guard Sammy Zeglinski said. "But they're going to be pretty desperate for a win coming in here, losing their first two. They're going to look at it as a must-win. We need to look at it as the same way."

North Carolina remains without O'Connell product Marcus Ginyard, who Williams said would be shut down from basketball activities as he continues to recover from preseason foot surgery. Ginyard played in parts of three games this season but was affected by the injury.

Ginyard and Davis are the two Virginians on North Carolina's roster. Davis was a major recruiting target for Leitao's staff and is establishing himself in Williams's rotation during his freshman season by averaging 7.3 points and 7.8 rebounds in 20.3 minutes.

"Every coach in America can have an 'all-What If' team that is as good a team as there is in the country," Leitao said.

Davis's presence likely will draw the ire of Virginia's students. Landesberg and Zeglinski noticed a buzz surrounding Thursday's game. North Carolina still marks Virginia's toughest test yet this season. For many on the Cavaliers' young roster, it will be the most anticipated game of their careers.

"I think [fans are] more excited about North Carolina coming in," Zeglinski said. "Either way, it's going to be a good atmosphere. I haven't played in a game like that, since, well, I've never, I guess."

In the minds of fans -- and even Virginia players -- North Carolina is still North Carolina. The Tar Heels beat No. 7 Michigan State by 35 points in December. They include most of the same players who escaped John Paul Jones Arena with a one-point win last season. The Cavaliers must find what worked for Boston College and Wake Forest, because they expect to see the North Carolina from earlier in the season instead of the team from the past two weeks.

"Everybody was saying undefeated and 50 points better than everybody else, and now that we're sitting here 0-2, I don't think we're going to go 0-16," Williams said. "But we haven't played worth a darn, and the other teams have a lot to do with that."